True Hero
by ChoCedric
Summary: AU. A heartbroken Sirius holds a dying Harry in his arms after being defeated by Voldemort. A tender conversation as he tries to convince Hary He didn't fail.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A True Hero

By: ChoCedric

There was nothing but Grief, guilt, and heartache in the atmosphere of number 12, Grimmauld Place. Inside the bedroom of Sirius Black, the man himself lay on his bed, cradling his dying godson in his arms. After a harrowing battle with Voldemort, the boy had become exhausted and had not been able to dodge the assortment of spells being flung at him. The last spell the dark wizard had cast was a spell that would slowly poison the bloodstream, causing a slow and painful death to the victim. Even Severus Snape, who was the spy in the Dark Lord's ranks, didn't know a cure for this spell. So it was with great sadness that the hope for the wizarding world was slowly withering in his godfather's arms.

The man reflected that even though he was free now, since Peter had been caught a few months ago, that it was hardly worth it. What else was there left to live for now that Harry was leaving him as well? Of course there was Remus, but in the new regime Voldemort was likely to start, remus would probably be one of the first to be killed, though Sirius would do everything he possibly could to protect him. But without his godson, the one thought that had kept him sane throughout the worst years of his life, which were his years in Azkaban, he felt that his life was hardly worth anything at all.

Tears were streaming down Harry's face as Sirius rubbed soothing circles on his back to try to distract him from the pain racking through his whole body. "Shhh, pup, please don't cry," he soothed, but he was having trouble keeping tears back himself. He knew that his pup was experiencing crushing guilt, for he knew that Harry was the kind of person that took every death and every battle personally. The boy was only seventeen years old, but had had the weight of the world thrust upon his shoulders and was expected to defeat the darkest wizard in a century. It was hardly fair.

"Sirius," Harry cried, burying his face in his protector's shoulder. "I-I failed. Now every death, everything V-Voldemort will do, it'll all be my fault. I've f-failed."

No, Prongslet," Sirius said, feeling tears sting his eyes. "Shhh, you didn't fail. I never expected you to defeat Voldemort. Nobody did. I think you were fantastic out there."

"N-no, I wasn't," Harry sobbed. "Sirius, I-I'm so scared ..."

At this, Sirius felt as though his heart was ripped out of his chest. Harry looked so vulnerable, like a small child who was starved for acceptance, love, and affection. He had been denied that so much of his life, spending it with cruel relatives who did nothing but ridicule and harass him. He'd hardly had time to be a child and admit his fears, and it was extremely heartbreaking that he could only do it now, at the moment of his death. "Don't be scared, everything will be all right. James and Lily are going to take such good care of you. They're going to love you so, so much," Sirius crooned, feeling a sob catch in his throat.

Harry weakly reached his hand up and wiped the tears from his loving godfather's eyes. "I failed the entire wizarding world,Harry mumbled, ashamed and guilty. "Voldemort was too powerful, I was too slow, I knew it was hopeless. ..."

"I don't care what the rest of the world thinks, kiddo. What you did today was heroic. You tried your best, and I couldn't be prouder of you," Sirius reassured the boy, who was now struggling for breath. "And I know Remus feels the same way."

"Will he ... be all right?" Harry asked softly. "I saw him get hurt in the battle. And Ron, Hermione, and Ginny."

"They'll all be fine, Prongslet," Sirius said, stroking Harry's messy mop of black hair. God, in some ways, this was going to be even harder than losing James and Lily. "They're all being healed by Madame Pomfrey, they'll be right as rain in no time."

Harry let out a pained sigh of relief. "Take care of them, Siri," he said quietly.

"I will, pup. I promise," Sirius said softly. "God, Harry, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I've done wrong. I feel like I failed you. I couldn't protect you from this, I'm so sorry."

"Siri, you were the best godfather I could have," Harry said, more tears gently flowing down his face. "This was what I had to do, it was what I was born to do, it ..."

"But it's not fair," sobbed Sirius, weeping openly now. "You're only seventeen, you're too young! I can't lose you too!"

"I'm sorry, Siri." Harry whispered. Struggling to take another breath, he gasped out, "What ... what if my p-parents are disappointed in me? I couldn't defeat Voldemort, what will they think?"

"They'll be so proud of you, pup, just like I am," Sirius said in a heartbroken voice. "None of us care that you couldn't defeat him. We all love you, as do James and Lily."

"Thank you," Harry whispered, barely audibly. "I love you too, Siri. We'll see each other again, right?"

"I know it," Sirius said, feeling Harry slipping away from him. The tears fell faster as he said, "Sleep well, Harry. Tel Lily and James hello for me, okay? I love you so, so much."

"Love ... you ... too ..." Harry responded, his beautiful emerald eyes closing for the last time. The pained look on his face relaxed into a serene and peaceful one. He took one last, shuddering breath and went limp in Sirius's arms.

"Noooooooo!" Sirius wept, clinging onto Harry's still form and burying his face in James's messy hair. "Nooooooo! Harry, come back to me! Nooooooooo!"

Just then, Albus Dumbledore entered the room. He had been alerted by Sirius's heartbroken screams, and he knew what had just happened. Incredible sorrow filled him, for a shining light in the wizarding world had just gone out. He gently pried the heartsick man away from his godson's body and held him as he wept.

"God, Albus, it's not worth it anymore," Sirius choked out through his tears. "He was the only thing keeping me going. Freedom doesn't matter to me anymore, I'd rather be still in Azkaban if I knew Harry was still alive!"

Dumbledore said nothing, but he continued to cradle the man to his chest. He knew nothing would ever be the same again.I'm so sorry, child, for everything, he thought as he stared at Harry's peaceful form lying on the bed. I only hope you can find peace now. And he also hoped that peace could be restored to the man he was so fiercely embracing. Whatever would happen to the wizarding world now, Albus Dumbledore vowed that until his last, dying breath, he would do everything he could to preserve the love and innocence that had been so alive in Harry Potter, who was nothing but a true hero.

The End

It seems to me, you lived your life

Like a candle in the wind,

Never fading with the sunset

When the rain set in,

And your footsteps will always fall here

Along England's greenest hills,

Your candle burned out long before

Your legend ever will.

Elton John, Candle in the Wind, Princess Diana Version


End file.
